The author of Matthew introduces his book with a genealogy of Jesus Christ, specifically calling it a book of the generation (or a book of genesis):
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1 KJV)
Whereas, the author of Luke provides a list of names in chapter 3 that appears to be a genealogy of Jesus, except it is never referred to as such.
We recognize the names from Adam down to Nathan as being genealogical in nature because we have genealogical records given in the Old Testament to compare it with. But most of the names between Nathan and Joseph are unfamiliar to us.
Many have understood this list of names as being the genealogical record of Mary, but I’ve had difficulty accepting that notion for quite a while now, because it seems very odd to me that the author would present it without making any mention of her.
Enter Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History
This past week, I was listening to a series of YouTube videos on the genealogy of Jesus just to get an idea of the different thoughts/teachings circulating in the public these days, and I stumbled across the following gem:
This explanation actually made a lot of sense to me. Joseph is the physical son of Jacob as recorded in Matthew 1, but he is the son of Heli by the law of Deuteronomy 25:5-6. Jacob and Heli are brothers, having different fathers, but are of the same mother.
[Watch the above video if you have not done so already. It illustrates this point beautifully.]
Now, why would Luke include this lineage here?
I believe he included this list of names at this point in the story because Jesus/Yeshua had just been declared by a voice from heaven, presumably that of YHVH God, to be His “son”.
Earlier in Luke 1, the author established Mary was espoused to Joseph, a man of the house of David, and that she had received word of her conceiving and bringing forth a son in the future.
She was told he would be called the son of the Highest in verse 32. And again, it was reiterated that he would be called the son of God in verse 35.
Given the rest of what the messenger told Mary concerning the child she would one day have, I am reminded of the promise made to David concerning his physical seed located in 2 Samuel 7.
In that promise, YHVH said that He would be a father to David’s seed, and David’s seed would be a son to Him.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16 KJV)
He wasn’t talking about a physical/flesh relationship. He was talking about a spiritual one.
Also, note that He said that David’s seed would build a house for His name. Everybody thinks that is referring to the temple that Solomon built, but look at the greater context of that statement:
And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house. (2 Samuel 7:1-11 KJV)
Do you see here? David wanted to build a physical house for YHVH, but YHVH essentially said He never asked for one. But then YHVH said that He would make David a house. Was He talking about a physical building? Look at the very next verse:
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. (2 Samuel 7:12 KJV)
He’s speaking of a household: — a father and sonship. And then the next verse says:
He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. (2 Samuel 7:13 KJV)
So now, this son of David is supposed to build a house for YHVH’s name. Is this to be a physical building? Or is this to be a household: — a father and sonship as well?
Again, look at the next verse:
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. (2 Samuel 7:14a KJV)
This is not a physical/flesh household, like it was regarding David, but rather it is a spiritual household, where YHVH God is our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be His name.
So this seed of David, a physical/flesh son of David, is going to be a spiritual son to God, and God will be his spiritual Father, and this son of David is going to build a house for YHVH’s name. How? By spiritually begetting spiritual sons.
Now, let’s get back to Luke.
In chapter 2, the author writes of when Jesus/Yeshua was 12 years old, he hung back in Jerusalem after the feast following Passover, and his parents came back looking for him.
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (Luke 2:46-51 KJV)
His mother, when she found her son at the temple, refers to Joseph as Yeshua’s father when speaking to him concerning their looking for him. She was obviously referring to Joseph as his physical/flesh father.
But Yeshua makes reference to being about his Father’s business, speaking of his spiritual father, YHVH God, which art in heaven, hallowed be His name.
At the time, his parents didn’t understand what he was saying, but his mother kept those sayings in her heart.
And then the author tells of Yeshua’s baptism in Luke 3 and what transpired there with him being called the “son” of the Father, which art in heaven.
And then he explains how Yeshua was beginning to be about 30 years old, which is the age when Joseph rose to power, not just in the land, but also in the household of the king in Genesis 41:37-46, and the age when David was anointed king over Israel in 2 Samuel 5:1-4.
And then the list of names, from Yeshua leading all the way up to God, is given, and I believe this was done to demonstrate how Yeshua was considered the spiritual son of God.
I shared the above video along with some of my thoughts on this matter in last week’s Zoom room call and opened the floor to discussion. Here’s the recording of that:
The bottom line of all this is that Luke records Jesus, being the physical son of Joseph, and Joseph is [the son] of Heli by law, according to Deuteronomy 25:5-6:
If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. (Deuteronomy 25:5-6 KJV)
Joseph’s physical father was Jacob, as laid out in Matthew’s genealogy, but his legal father was Heli. Jacob and Heli were brothers by the same mother, as recorded by Eusebius:
Thus we shall find the two, Jacob and Eli, although belonging to different families, yet brethren by the same mother. Of these the one, Jacob, when his brother Eli had died childless, took the latter’s wife and begot by her a son Joseph, his own son by nature and in accordance with reason.
Wherefore also it is written: ‘Jacob begot Joseph.’ Matthew 1:6 But according to law he was the son of Eli, for Jacob, being the brother of the latter, raised up seed to him. (Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History: Book 1, Chapter 7, Verse 9)
I believe this list was given by the author of Luke, having already demonstrated Jesus/Yeshua to be the physical son of Joseph in his first two chapters, for the purpose of now demonstrating how Jesus could be called the spiritual son of God.
And the reason why this list of names, which traces the line back to David by way of Nathan is used as opposed to the one, which goes by way of Solomon, is because Solomon strayed from walking in the ways of God. Therefore, the kingdom was rent from him.
Before David died, He gave a charge to Solomon, to walk in the ways of YHVH his God:
Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. (1 Kings 2:1-4 KJV)
And Solomon did well for a while, but then we read of this:
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen. (1 Kings 11:1-13 KJV)
Solomon’s kingdom failed. But David’s kingdom did not. It was just on pause until the promised Christ would come.
Luke revealed in chapter 1 that it was foretold to Mary that her son would be given the throne of his father David, and then in chapter 1 of Acts, following the resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua, we read:
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:6-8 KJV)
Consider Psalm 2:
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalms 2:1-12 KJV)
During his ministry, Yeshua said:
…How say they that Christ is David’s son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? (Luke 20:41-44 KJV)
Everyone in Yeshua’s day was looking for a physical/flesh “son” of David to be the Christ, which is what Yeshua was, but Yeshua was more than that. He was also the declared spiritual “son” of God, which David understood to be seated at the right hand of God.
A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalms 110:1 KJV)
Does this mean that Yeshua was a hybrid man-God? No. He was the physical son of man, and the spiritual son of God.
The author of Luke understood this. In Luke 4, he reveals how Yeshua was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested/proved of the devil to determine if he truly was the spiritual son of God…
Would Yeshua remain faithful to the commands of YHVH?
And the answer is yes, yes he would.
